TEAMworks is a non-profit organization that seeks to improve and enhance the lives of children with disabilities locally and internationally.
TEAMworks volunteers are made up of therapists, specialists, and supporters who serve locally in Northwest Arkansas and internationally in Ukraine, Guatemala, China and Rwanda. The goal is to support educators, parents, and care providers by offering individualized treatment plans, equipment, training, and resource support to improve quality of life.
How TEAMworks Began:
It all started through an adoption…. In 2001, Jimmie and Amanda Clark of Bentonville, AR had decided to adopt from Ukraine. After meeting an Ozark couple who had adopted a couple of children from Ukraine, including one with special needs, the Clark’s decided to keep their hearts open to children who had special needs. In May 2002, when they traveled to Ukraine to adopt. Amanda related, “We didn’t have our minds set on healthy or special needs, we kept our hearts open.”
Into those open hearts “leaped” Dimitri and Aleksei, both have cerebral palsy. Before the Clarks took the boys home to Arkansas, they fell in love with Elena, who also has cerebral palsy, and they vowed to find her a family, as well. But the Clarks couldn’t find a family for Elena. So they went back to Ukraine to adopt her themselves.
“When we adopted our daughter,” Amanda said, “we showed the caretakers at the orphanage photos of our other kids. The caretakers were amazed, when they saw two healthy boys.” They showered Amanda with questions.
Amanda started sending the orphanage therapy information from Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M. Amanda’s efforts got the attention of the clinic’s owner, Kym Hannah, (Physical Therapist). Soon, Amanda was on her way back to Ukraine with an entourage of therapists from the clinic. They took education materials with them to teach caretakers at the orphanage how to provide various kinds of therapies for children with special needs, like cerebral palsy.
Amanda calls the trips a “grassroots effort” to get help for kids with disabilities who end up in orphanages because there is no organized support system for them.
The goal and mission of TEAMworks is to assist and service all children with special needs by improving family education, community involvement, and quality of life.
Thank you to our sponsors:
